Autism is a vitamin d deficiency disorder?

A new study in the June 2010 issue of Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine suggests that autism is a vitamin D deficiency disorder.

The study showed children with autism had significantly lower levels of vitamin D and calcium compared to children without the condition.

Megid N.A. and colleagues from the National Research Center in Cairo Egypt compared 70 Egyptian children who were diagnosed with autism according to the DSM-IV criteria of the American Psychiatric Association with 42 healthy children for their serum vitamin D and calcium.

The researchers measured both forms of vitamin D, 25(OH)D and 1,25(OH)(2)D and calcium in all children and found autistic children had significantly lower serum concentrations of 25(OH)D and 1,25(H)(2)D. Additionally, children with autism had also lower levels of calcium compared to the controls.

Among autistic children, lower levels of calcium were associated with lower levels of vitamin D.

The researchers did not see any association between the risk of autism and birth month or season.

Dr. John Cannell, a vitamin D expert and director of Vitamin D Council has already proposed that vitamin D deficiency is an important risk factor for autism.

(Send your news to foodconsumer.org@gmail.com, Foodconsumer.org is part of
the Infoplus.com ™ news and information network)